Abstract: Germ shields which can be retro-fitted to existing wheelchairs or included in the design of a typically manually-propelled wheelchair to prevent contamination or soiling of the sleeves of a user by contact of the shirt sleeves with the large wheels of the wheelchair as the user propels himself or herself in the wheelchair. The germ shields of the present invention are broadly characterized by an elongated, arcuate cover which engages the wheelchair and covers a substantial upper curvature or portion of a large wheel on the wheelchair.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for cooling a wall for use in a gas turbine engine is provided that includes a cooling air passage having a plurality of segments connected in series by one or more chambers, an inlet aperture, and an exit aperture. The inlet aperture connects the cooling air passage to one side of the wall. The exit aperture connects the cooling air passage to the opposite side of the wall. Cooling air on the inlet aperture side of the wall enters the cooling air passage through the inlet aperture and exits through the exit aperture.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for cooling a wall within a gas turbine engine is provided which comprises the steps of: (1) providing a wall having an internal surface and an external surface; (2) providing a cooling microcircuit within the wall that has a passage for cooling air that extends between the internal surface and the external surface; and (3) increasing heat transfer from the wall to a fluid flow within the passage by increasing the average heat transfer coefficient per unit flow within the microcircuit. According to one aspect, the present invention method and apparatus can be tuned to substantially match the thermal profile of the wall at hand.